HDTV
sales continue to boom at the retail and custom level to the tune of
over 1,000,000 sets per month, according to recent Consumer Electronics
Association reports. HDTV is the home theater industry’s “killer
application,” providing an outrageously good video experience on TVs
that are ultra-thin. The problem is that a DTV (DTVs are TVs that can
reproduce HD content but don’t necessarily have tuners built into them)
rarely have HD tuners built into them even at the highest price points.

With
HDTV sets selling at the million per month rate and no signs of slowing
down anytime soon, consumers are quickly learning their desire for HDTV
content is far greater than the current supply. Options for HDTV
content often include either digital cable or satellite and a
terrestrial antenna. Cable has its advantages in many markets, because
it can reliably provide local HDTV feeds without the need for often
clunky antenna. However, millions of early adopters, as well as HDTV
newbies, flock to the satellite providers (DirecTV, Dish Network and
upstart VOOM) for their content because of their large offerings of
HDTV programming, HD-DVR equipment and access from practically every
location in the United States.

Humax
has disclosed that it has entered into a development and supply
agreement with DirecTV. The agreements encompass various set top box
models including a portion of the entry-level receivers that will
feature interactive services and an HDTV receiver capable of receiving
MPEG 4 broadcasts due to ship later in the year. In addition, Humax is
producing the new DirecTV DVR, also due out later this year.

In
a recent article by Eric Hellweg in Technology Review, the topic of new
legislation is in front of the current U.S. “lame duck” Congress,
addressing a number of piracy and media issues that relate to how
audio/video enthusiasts record and use TV. According to the article,
there are a handful of bills being considered right now that aim to
make recording a movie in a theater and/or distributing it via
peer-to-peer networks a felony. Since most reasonable home theater
enthusiasts are willing to buy a DVD of a film through legal means,
this might not be a landmark piece of legislation. However, there are
other bills that go much further, including one that makes it illegal
to fast-forward through parts of films or even to fast-forward through
commercials on your TiVo or other DVR systems.